No Favorites

James instructed and pleaded with the early church to not show favoritism. He shared a story about a wealthy person and a poor person being treated quite differently when they entered the meeting. The rich was given special treatment and given a good seat. On the other hand the poor was asked to stand or to sit on the floor.

Unfortunately the church of our day still needs to improve on this. I pray our church leaders are not swayed by the ones who write the bigger checks, or who dress with the latest, greatest fashions. I pray we do not overlook the needs of the common, hard-working man/woman or snub our noses at the poor.

It took a Barnabas to break down barriers in the church to allow Saul to be part of the early church when he became Paul after conversion. Thank God the church did not close their door to him. But I wonder how many Pauls' are out there that are still not welcome in some churches-what do they look like today?

Are they wearing leather and riding Harleys? Perhaps it is the Gothic teen that no one pays attention to? Maybe it's the lonely widow who fights off depression or suicidal thoughts? Is it the small contractor that has no work right now or the carpenter next door that just lost his job?

Or is it the homeless man you pass every day while going to Starbucks? Or perhaps its the tattooed 'wanna be a rock star' that lives in your neighborhood?

Lev. 19:15, says "Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly."

God has no favorites-what does that mean to us?